Correlations between quantum and stochastic systems with a dephasing coupling

Correlations between single qubit and classical environment are studied by means of the stochastic Liouville equation, where a dephasing coupling between them is assumed. When the dephasing of the qubit is characterized by the two-state-jump Markov process, the properties of the total, classical and quantum correlations are examined.     

An electron microscopic study of the archaeal feast/famine regulatory protein 5. Fourier filtration of images

Microcrystals of the feast/famine regulatory protein (FFRP) pot0434017 (FL11) were prepared by sonicating larger crystals. Using the microcrystals a cryo-electron micrograph was obtained, which showed a hexagonal packing of cylinder-like assemblies of FL11. This micrograph was processed by selecting, in the Fourier space, spots reflecting the crystal lattice, thereby removing the noise. The microcrystal was not totally free from distortion, and cylinders in local clusters adopted slightly different orientations. Thus, 25 hexagonal units closest to the ideal, each containing a cylinder at the center surrounded by six others, were manually selected. The averaged image was further processed to yield a perfect six-fold symmetry. These processed images, and some of the original images too, show bridges connecting cylinders, each corresponding to two pairs of N-domains, protruding from the two cylinders and contacting between them in the X-ray structure.     

Effects of fine fuel droplets on a laminar flame stabilized in a partially prevaporized spray stream

A partially prevaporized spray burner was developed to investigate the interaction between fuel droplets and a flame. Monodispersed partially prevaporized ethanol sprays with narrow diameter distribution were generated by the condensation method using rapid pressure reduction of a saturated ethanol vapor–air mixture. A tilted flat flame was stabilized at the nozzle exit using a hot wire. Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) was applied to measurements of the droplet velocity; the laminar burning velocity was obtained from gas velocity derived from the droplet velocity. Observations were made of flames in partially prevaporized spray streams with mean droplet diameters of 7 μm and the liquid equivalence ratios of 0.2; the total equivalence ratio was varied. In all cases, a sharp vaporization plane was observed in front of the blue flame. Flame oscillation was observed on the fuel-rich side. At strain rates under 50 s⁻¹, the change in the burning velocity with the strain rate is small in fuel-lean spray streams. In spray streams of 0.7 and 0.8 in the total equivalence ratio, burning velocity increases with strain rates of greater than 50 s⁻¹. However, in spray streams with 0.9 and 1.0 in the total equivalence ratio, burning velocity decreases as the strain rate increases. At strain rates greater than 80 s⁻¹, burning velocity decreases with an increased gas equivalence ratio. The effect of mean droplet diameter, and the entry length of droplets into a flame on the laminar burning velocity, were also investigated to interpret the effect of the strain rate on the laminar burning velocity of partially prevaporized sprays.     

Single-mode single-polarization holey fiber using anisotropic fundamental space-filling mode

We present the single-mode single-polarization regime of a circular-hole holey fiber consisting of a core with large elliptical holes. The elliptical holes in the core, which produce large anisotropies, split the fundamental mode into two orthogonally polarized fundamental modes, often referred to as slow and fast modes. This fiber can guide only one polarization state of the fundamental mode when a fundamental space-filling mode index of the cladding region is designed to lie between these indices of the slow and fast modes of the core region. We demonstrate one design example of this fiber and show that the single-polarization regime can be achieved over a wide wavelength range.     

Electrochemical properties of thin TiO2 electrode on Li1 + xAlxGe2 − x(PO4)3 solid electrolyte

A fabrication of all-solid-state thin-film rechargeable lithium ion batteries by sol-gel method is expected to achieve both the simplification and cost reduction for fabrication process. TiO₂ thin film electrode was prepared by PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) sol-gel method combined with spin-coating on Li_1 + xAl_xGe_2 − x(PO₄)₃ (LAGP) solid electrolyte which has wide electrochemical window. The thin film was composed of anatase TiO₂ that is the most active phase for Li insertion and extraction and contacted well with LAGP substrate. In the cyclic voltammogram, a redox couple was observed at 1.8 V vs. Li/Li⁺ assigned to Li insertion/extraction into/from anatase TiO₂, indicating that the thin film worked as electrode for lithium battery. The charge and discharge test in various charge and discharge rates revealed that the discharge process (delithiation) is thought to be faster than charge process (lithiation). It is attested that the sol-gel process, which derives both simplification and cost reduction for fabrication process, can be applied to thin film battery using LAGP solid electrolyte.     

Comparison of detectability limits for elemental mapping by EF-TEM and STEM-XEDS

The analytical sensitivity in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was investigated for elemental mapping by a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy filter (EF-TEM) and a scanning transmission electron microscope with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (STEM-XEDS). To compare the detectability limits of the elemental maps by the two techniques, homogeneous Cu-0.98+/-0.34 wt% Mn and Cu-4.93+/-0.49 wt% Mn thin specimens were used. Elemental maps can be considered as either an image or a spectrum. Therefore, the detectability limits of the elemental maps were characterized by the spectral SNR. To evaluate the detectability limits of the elemental maps with statistical confidence limits such as 1 sigma, 2 sigma and 3 sigma, the SNR values were reviewed from the statistical point of view. In STEM-XEDS mapping, the spectral SNR values improve as the specimen thickness increases since the signal intensity increases. Conversely, the spectral SNR in EF-TEM mapping is maximized at a certain thickness and then reduces as the thickness increases. To compare the two mapping techniques with regard to the analytical sensitivity, a method to estimate the minimum mass fraction (MMF) from measured signal and background intensities was developed. In this experimental approach, the MMF value can be evaluated by selecting the appropriate SNR value corresponding to the statistical confidence limits. In comparing the estimated MMF values from the two mapping approaches, EF-TEM mapping can be more sensitive than STEM-XEDS mapping up to specimen thicknesses <20-30 nm in the 1 sigma confidence limit and < approximately 50 nm in the 3 sigma limits. However, as the specimen thickness increases, the XEDS maps provide better detectability limits in the Cu-Mn dilute alloy specimens.     

Reactive ion etching of FePt using inductively coupled plasma

We propose a reactive ion etching (RIE) process of an L1₀-FePt film which is expected as one of the promising materials for the perpendicular magnetic recording media. The etching was carried out using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) RIE system and an etching gas combination of CH₄/O₂/NH₃ was employed. The L1₀-FePt films were deposited on (1 0 0)-oriented MgO substrates using a magnetron sputtering system. The etching masks of Ti were patterned on the FePt films lithographically. The etch rates of ∼16 and ∼0 nm/min were obtained for the FePt film and the Ti mask, respectively. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses provided the average roughness (R_a) value of 0.95 nm for the etched FePt surface, that is, a very flat etched surface was obtained. Those results show that the highly selective RIE process of L1₀-FePt was successfully realized in the present study.     

Local chemical state change in Co–O resistance random access memory

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (C‐AFM) together with micro X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed for the stacking structure comprising of the transition metal oxide Co–O and metal electrode, which exhibits large reproducible resistance switching. The application of the external voltage by the C‐AFM cantilever decreases the resistance of Co–O, which well accords with the non‐polar forming process observed in the Pt/Co–O/Pt trilayer, known as the candidate of resistance random access memory (ReRAM). Furthermore, the KFM and micro XPS experimentally revealed that the local reductive reaction of Co–O possibly nucleates the defect related energy levels which dominates the current conduction in the low resistance state. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Coadsorption of water and CO molecules on Ru(0 0 1) at high CO coverages: comparisons with a Ru(0 0 1) electrode surface

The coadsorption of carbon monoxide (CO) and water molecules on a Ru(0 0 1) surface has been studied by infrared spectroscopy, LEED and STM. At high CO coverage phases, a 2×2-(2CO+D₂O) structure was observed on both UHV and electrode surfaces. Electrode potential dependent structures from CO and water adlayers on an electrode surface were reproduced on a UHV surface by controlling molecular orientations of the first layer and second over-layer water molecules. At lower CO coverages, a CO band center showed coverage dependent shift down to 1444 cm⁻¹ due to an electron transfer from a lone pair of a water molecule to CO 2π^*.     

Precise determination of Mg/Fe ratios applicable to terrestrial olivine samples using Raman spectroscopy

The relationship between Mg# [ = 100 Mg/(Mg + Fe) in mol] and the Raman shift was analyzed precisely for olivine [(Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄] samples with Mg# between 100 and 62.8. Two prominent peaks at 826–820 cm⁻¹ (peak 1) and 858–849 cm⁻¹ (peak 2) and three subordinate peaks at 883–881 cm⁻¹ (peak 3), 920–914 cm⁻¹ (peak 4), and 967–951 cm⁻¹ (peak 5) were observed to shift monotonously to lower wavenumbers with decreasing Mg#. The ΔMg#( = Mg#_ref − Mg#) versus Δν(= ν_ref − ν) can be linearly regressed for each peak as ΔMg# = A Δν, where ν is a peak wavenumber of olivine with Mg# ranging from 100 to 62.8, and ν_ref is that of olivine with a reference value of Mg#, namely, Mg#_ref. We set Mg#_ref as 100 (i.e.pure forsterite Mg₂SiO₄) whereas A is a regression parameter (5.789, 4.294, 12.34, 6.348, and 2.09, respectively,for peaks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). This equation enables us to avoid small inter‐laboratory differences of wavenumber calibration. The equation for peak 2 yields estimations of Mg# in geologically satisfactory precision, ± 1 Mg# (1σ) in the Mg# range of 100–62.8. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.